


Here we are again, nothing new, everything new.

by Werepirechick



Series: Girls get it done, can't deny that. [3]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Assassination Plot(s), Canon Gay Character, Crushes, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Falling In Love, Fight me on that, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Requited Love, Revenge, Secret Crush, Secret Relationship, Unrequited Love, get fucked shredder, god they're so cute, people of this fandom i'm disappointed in you for not taking advantage of this glorious wlw ship, shini is in no way a straight individual, why are there no other ship fics for these two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-28
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 12:43:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9491426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Werepirechick/pseuds/Werepirechick
Summary: Dark circles under her eyes, and gauntness that spoke of painful hardships, Karai stood in the hallway of Shini’s apartment complex. Her hair was grown out from its careful grooming, and a wild look filled her eyes. She’d looked hunted, and very much haunted.Shini had pulled Karai in immediately, shutting the door and locking it against whatever had driven her indomitable friend to her home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Why are there no other wlw fics for Shini and Karai. What the hell people. 
> 
> This is a Quality Ship, and we're doing Nothing with it?!
> 
> Why must I do everything myself. Honestly.

 

 

Shini’s eyes slid open, her awareness coming back to reality immediately as something cool and smooth wrapped around her leg.

A beat, her momentary panic fading, and she smiled.

She shifted her leg slightly under her comforter, and felt the length around her leg tighten its grip.

Turning over, and wrapping her leg further into the tail’s grip, Shini faced her current bed partner.

Karai, her dear and old friend, had shifted in her sleep again. Where Karai had once been, was now a very big and very much asleep snake mutant.

Karai’s split end tongue was ever so slightly sticking out.

Shini, though still half asleep herself, smiled wider, and reached out to poke it.

Karai’s eyes snapped open, as she registered that Shini was touching the tip of her tongue. They stared at each other for a moment, then Karai’s tongue disappeared from sight, and she slithered rapidly out of the bed.

Shini groaned, and sat up. “Karai, it’s two AM. Get back in bed.”

“Give-” Karai stopped, her voice wavering strangely. There was rustling sounds, just outside of Shini’s sight. “-give me a moment.”

Shini waited, leaning on her knees. Her eyes stung, and she very much did not appreciate the sudden awakening, cute as it had been.

Karai reappeared a short time later, though now in human form. Her back was to Shini, the white cotton of her night shirt catching in the slant of light from the window. Shini admired the way Karai’s body looked, knowing the power that lay in her lithe form.

However, Shini noted unhappily, Karai was still underweight. The thinness still clinging to her, a week after she’d arrived on Shini’s doorstep.

“Are you done yet?” Shini asked, only a tint of irritability in her voice.

“…yes,” Karai replied, finally turning to face Shini again. Her eyes were no longer green and slit, instead returned to gold-brown. All traces of her new changes erased, carefully concealed once more.

Shini quietly mourned that, since she’d only caught a few glimpses of Karai’s new form.

Karai slid back into bed without a word, turning away from Shini and facing the wall. Shini stayed sitting up a moment longer, then lay back down as well.

 

 

 

When Shini had opened her door, expecting an enemy or a deliveryman, she’d nearly lost grip on her hidden knife, seeing Karai on her doorstep.

Dark circles under her eyes, and gauntness that spoke of painful hardships, Karai stood in the hallway of Shini’s apartment complex. Her hair was grown out from its careful grooming, and a wild look filled her eyes. She’d looked hunted, and very much haunted.

Shini had pulled Karai in immediately, shutting the door and locking it against whatever had driven her indomitable friend to her home.

 

 

 

Karai told her of the upheaval in America, of the things she’d discovered and struggled with.

She wanted to have her revenge, and to dive right back into the fight to get it.

Shini had done a once over of her tired, bedraggled friend, and replied quite simply, _“Nope.”_

Karai was getting some down time, whether she wanted it or not.

Shini’s dear friend had never learned how to do that, it seemed. Relaxing and enjoying the frivolous things in life. The lives they led were too short to not, and they simply had too many wonderful luxurious things to experience before a knife found their backs.

Shini had taken Karai’s small weaponry arsenal, placing it out of sight with her own stored weapons. They wouldn’t need them for a while yet, not until Shini had chased the paleness from Karai’s complexion.

Karai had disagreed, saying that they needed to move fast. Her ‘father’ wouldn’t wait for her to gain strength again; they needed to strike while the iron was still hot.

Shini had taken Karai’s cheeks into her hands, and told her friend she was courting death with an attitude like that.

Shini was not like Karai, with her steel strong beliefs and ever true honor. Shini had loyalties yes, but they lay with those who paid her well, and the select few she cared for. The concept of running head first into war was alien to her, especially with her own life at stake.

Shini would fight for Karai, yes, but only after the young heir regained her strength.

It took prodding and teasing, and Shini being a general nuisance until Karai agreed to take some time off.

Shini dragged Karai out of her apartment, two days after she’d arrived, into the light of day.

While the sun was up, they would be ordinary young women. Night time was for ninjas and mercenaries; daylight was for two friends seeing the sights.

And what a sight Karai was, with her new and curious changes.

She hid them from Shini, whenever they raised their scaly heads. Literally, seeing as Karai’s hands would shift between fingers and mouths if she wanted them to.

Shini watched Karai through their day trips, covert and appreciative of her friend. Karai’s changes popped up in moments here and there, split seconds where she became more than human.

Her skin would shimmer, scales surfacing as her attention drifted too far from herself. Fangs dropping down as they readied for a dinner out, a split tongue darting out almost too quick to see as she tasted the scent of their food.

Shini’s favorite was the eyes, the deadly green that overtook Karai’s sclera whenever she became emotional.

Karai’s feelings of betrayal ran deep, showing starkly whenever they broached the subject. The tensing of her shoulders, the way the air around her became choking with fury. Her eyes becoming slit and reptilian the more she talked. Deadly, hateful, _beautiful._

Karai would catch herself though, whenever she slipped up, and hide her mutations once again.

Shini was disappointed each time, her curiosity desiring she find out more, see deeper into the sudden newness Karai had.

She stayed herself though, seeing how uncomfortable the forced changes made Karai. After all, they had wrought havoc in her life, and very nearly cost Karai her mind and soul.

Shini kept her curiosities mum, and said nothing about Karai’s attempts to hide herself.

 

 

 

They talked, they planned. Karai’s clan, the infamous Foot, was still active in Japan. Their home territory still thrived with clan activity, separated from their sister base in America. They discussed meeting with the clan leaders, ones that ranked just below the Shredder, to speak about the insanity that had clearly gripped the man.

From what Karai had told Shini, there was much to be done, much to get payback for.

Shini had never liked the Shredder. Respected, yes, feared, yes, but liked? Not even the slightest. For Karai, and for the sake of her own continued life, Shini had always been courteous and polite with the clan head.

Now though? She could not _wait_ to slide a blade through his throat.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom and revenge talk though. They spent many hours simply being.

Television was a marvelous thing; it drained so many useless hours away so easily. Better yet were the games you could play on it, hours of easy fun all for the taking.

Karai wasn’t much interested in the latter, but movies were more than welcome.

Between trips wandering Shini’s chosen city- for the time being, she was always moving due to her jobs- she and Karai spent time in Shini’s apartment. Shini did it mostly because she could see Karai’s gauntness still, the dark circles remaining under her senpai’s eyes. Karai had gone through so much, and so alone at that, and Shini’s small heart ached for her.

Shini cared for so few, but Karai had always been an exception. She likely always would be.

Shini coaxed color back into Karai’s cheeks, and tempted her friend with delicacies ordered from restaurants around the city. It was slow going, but Karai began to regain her usual vigor.

Maybe a bit faster than she should have, but Shini supposed that was due to the mutations.

Karai was still Karai, but she was also… _more_.

When Karai thought Shini wasn’t looking, she practiced using that added ‘more’.

Shini knew she was doing it, and after forcing herself to curb her curiosity for days, she finally ‘accidentally’ walked in on Karai’s practice.

Her senpai’s hands were gone, and Karai was muttering under her breath at the twin snakes looping from her arms.

Shini let her footfalls create noise, and raised one immaculate eyebrow at Karai as she spun.

“O-oh, Shini, I didn’t- I didn’t see you there,” Karai said, her words faltering unusually. Shini resisted curling her lips into a coy smile.

Really, her friend was too cute when she got flustered. And over something so silly too.

“It’s my home,” Shini replied, allowing just the hint of a smirk in her words. “I’m likely to be in it.”

Karai’s cheeks flushed- _how adorable_ \- and she seemed to try and hide her long snake arms behind her back. “I thought you’d be out by now. You usually go grocery shopping.”

“I thought we’d order in tonight,” Shini replied, suppressing a giggle as Karai’s snakes refused to stay hidden.

Karai noticed where Shini’s eyes had drifted, and the flush crept to her ears. “I’m practicing with them, f-for combat.”

Her left snake arm opened its jaws, letting out a long goofy yawn without even a hint of fang. The other stuck out its tongue, going “ _phtphtphtpht"_ at Shini.

Shini couldn’t supress her giggling any longer.

"Oh yes. You'll strike fear into the hearts of our enemies," Shini laughed, putting a hand over her mouth to at least pretend some reluctance in her amusement.

Shini said _"our enemies"_ and not _"your enemies",_ because Karai’s enemies are her's as well. They decided that long ago.

Shini crossed the floor, not a hint of disgust or fear as she approached the twin appendages. She knew, without Karai having said so, that that is what her friend had been waiting for. For the rejection and scorn of her new self.

Shini had none, only curiosity and good natured amusement.

She reached out fearlessly and trusting, to pet the adorable little heads of Karai’s snakes. They slithered through the air, smooth scales brushing her palms as they bumped their heads against her hands.

One of them stuck out its tongue, quickly licking her skin. Shini giggled again.

Karai’s flush became even more pronounced, muttering under her breath, _“No you stupid little-_ you're supposed to be _deadly_ and _terrifying,_ come _on_..."

“They’re adorable,” Shini said truthfully, darting a glance up at Karai. “Just like you.”

Karai’s expression screwed up, offense at being called anything other than fierce or terrifying. The redness of her ears however, gave away her embarrassment.

Shini only laughed, and scratched the chins of Karai’s snake hands.

 

 

 

Shini wanted Karai to be comfortable. She wanted her to feel safe enough that she could show her changes. Shini’s own fascination with them might have played in a factor of that, but more than anything, she wanted Karai to feel okay again.

Life had never been kind to them, regardless of how well they’d thrived in their respective situations. Shini didn’t want to see Karai restrain and hide herself like that, not when it was just the two of them.

As subtly as she could, Shini attempted to persuade Karai into thinking similarly.

It worked, slowly but surely, and Shini got to see more of the person Karai had become.

 

 

 

They didn’t always remain at home, or keep to the daylight hours for trips into town. Sometimes, when the night was simply too tempting to resist, they went out.

Dressed in the proper armor, and a true warrior’s paint, they would hit one club after another.

Filled with thrashing and dancing bodies, lights and smoke clouding the air, Shini and Karai would dance. Martial arts was one thing, but there was always a rigor to fighting that dancing didn’t have. Dancing was light, dancing was _fun_. There wasn’t need for seriousness in a club, and Shini lavished in that.

More accurately, she lavished in Karai’s presence, and the graceful way she moved across the floor.

During one of these trips, while Shini was retrieving a couple drinks for them, some men approached her.

Shini was accustomed to this. Really, a pretty woman couldn’t go anywhere without being harassed. The lecherous grins the two men gave her told everything, and how their eyes wandered down her shirt only reinforced her suspicions.

Honestly. No class.

Shini was holding two full glasses, but she figured she could take care of the men without spilling any. Though, it turned out she didn’t need to.

“Excuse me sirs, but she’s with me,” Karai said coldly, sliding between Shini and the men.

The one who had approached Shini first raised an eyebrow. “Is she? Then we’ve got not one, but _two_ beautiful ladies to entertain tonight. What do you say, feel like getting a couple drinks with us?”

He reached out to grab Karai’s shoulder, but winced away as Karai’s unforgiving grip circled his wrist.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Karai said, her tone becoming low and dangerous.

Shini smirked, smoothly going to stand beside Karai as she released the man. “Really, you should never touch a woman without her permission. And,” Her own tone fell, becoming just as dangerous as Karai’s. “We did not give you permission.”

The two men flushed angrily- perhaps also from one too many drinks- and looked ready to start a fuss over their dismissal.

However, as Karai’s demeanor turned sharp and inhuman- her fangs popping out and eyes shifting to deadly green- the men paled, and left faster than they’d appeared.

Shini smiled, handing Karai her drink and fluttering her eyelashes dramatically. “My hero.”

“You could have killed them with just your heel,” Karai said, taking the drink. “You weren’t in any danger.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate my brave senpai coming to my rescue,” Shini said silkily.

“You just like a good show,” Karai replied, no annoyance at that fact.

“Hm, true enough… and you gave quite a good one,” Shini grinned.

They finished their drinks, and Shini pulled Karai onto the dancefloor once again. No one else approached them that evening, and Shini quietly hoped it was because they seemed too exclusive to consider.

 

 

 

“I’m taller than you.”

Shini finished dropping their bags onto the kitchen counter, careful of the groceries inside, and turned to look at Karai. They’d just finished shopping for the week’s dinner plan, and it seemed Karai’s wandering attention had turned to something besides food shopping.

Karai’s legs were missing, turned into a long and winding tail. While her upper body remained mostly human- though Shini could see scales shimmering there- Karai’s lower body had become like something of a naga.

And, she was indeed taller than Shini like this.

“You’re cheating,” Shini said, looking at the way Karai was balancing herself on the long limb. “It’s like standing on your tiptoes. It doesn’t count.”

“I think it does,” Karai grinned cheekily, smoothly sliding across the floor. She loomed over Shini, a hint of her fangs showing in her smile. “It only took six years, but I’m finally taller than you.”

“Cheating,” Shini huffed, crossing her arms and turning away. “I won’t recognize this.”

Then she shrieked, Karai’s arms covering her eyes and her friend latching onto Shini’s head.

“I taller than you, just admit it!”

“Karai- you’re messing up my hair, I just had this done!”

“Admit it!”

“Never!”

They ended up collapsing into giggles, though Shini stood by her refusal to recognize Karai’s added height.

 

 

 

“Karai… please, it’s too late for this,” Shini mumbled, mostly into her pillow. “ _Karai.”_

“Mmm,” Karai mumbled back.

Shini sighed, and sat up in bed. She couldn’t sleep while someone was still awake, too many self-preservation instincts to physically allow herself. Karai was not asleep, and there for, neither was Shini.

Shini pushed her sleep mussed hair out of the way, and looked at her friend.

Karai was hunched over her knees, tense and radiating frustration. Shini saw along her bare arms, a glimmer of scales appear and disappear. Then once again, as Karai’s expression twisted in concentration.

“Karai?” Shini questioned, watching her friend fight off her changes.

“I’m sorry, couldn’t sleep,” Karai said quietly. She seemed to shudder, another wave of scales appearing and disappearing on her skin.

Shini stared at her friend, observing the silent battle happening. It looked like Karai was restraining herself, and struggling to.

That wouldn’t do. Neither of them would get any sleep like this.

Shini rubbed her eyes blearily, feeling a flash of irritation for her stubborn friend. "Karai, please. For goodness sake, just turn into a snake already and go to _sleep."_

"I'm fine like this," Karai replied, again quietly.

"No, you're _cranky_ like this. _I’m_ cranky like this. Come on now, change already. My bed is plenty big enough."

No answer, Karai remaining silent in the dark.

_"Karaaaaii-"_

_"Fine._ I'll do it."

Finally.

"Thank you," Shini mumbled gratefully, flopping backwards onto her pillow again and closing her eyes.

Shini heard it, the soft pops and cracks, and something like rustling fabric- and then the bed dipped in a different manner, like something much bigger had entered it.

Shini breathed a sigh of relief, because now she could finally get a full night’s rest. She didn’t mind sharing a bed with Karai- and would never have sentenced her senpai to sleeping on the couch in her one bedroom apartment- but not getting a good rest severely hindered her graciousness.

Shini started to drift again, hazy sleep retaking her, but-

Something tickled Shini’s ear, and she laughed, swatting blindly at the sensation. She opened her eyes again, and turned onto her side.

She was met with the sight of an enormous white and purple serpent; luminous green eyes bright even in the dark.

Karai’s long tongue slithered out again, and tickled Shini’s nose.

Shini giggled, putting a hand on Karai’s snout. " _Noooo_ \- this is not what I meant, I meant _sleeping_ , senpai. We are meant to be _sleeping..."_

Karai pushed against Shini’s hand, so it slid up and onto the crown of her head.

Shini left it there, marveling at the cool and supple feeling of her dear friend's scales. Shini could feel that if she slid her hand the wrong way, it could perhaps hurt her. But like this, the texture is smooth and welcoming; inhuman and strange, but slowly becoming familiar.

Incredible.

"You're very beautiful like this," Shini said softly, tracing the sheen of Karai’s scales in the slant of light from her window.

"Really?" Karai asked just as softly, in a different voice from her usual self. She’d never spoken to Shini in this form before; it was like listening to silk.

"Yes, really," Shini replied truthfully.

There’s a long pause, filled with a tension Shini is almost afraid to name. Tangible and new, yet also familiar. Just like Karai.

Then, on impulse, Shini leaned forwards, and pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of Karai’s nose.

Karai’s mouth dropped open, near comical shock showing on her scaly features and wide green eyes staring at Shini.

Shini patted Karai’s cheek. "There. All tucked in. Go to sleep now, Karai. We have much to do tomorrow."

And then she turned over, facing the wall, as though the kiss had never happened.

Shini’s face burned, feeling a sudden amount of embarrassment and self-incrimination for acting on her impulse. She just couldn’t hold back anymore, not with her friend looking at her like that, gentle and trusting…

Shini hoped that Karai wouldn’t take offense to the gesture.

A cool grip slid around her legs, and Shini’s fears abated. Something pushed against her back, Karai’s reptilian cool body slid close to Shini’s.

In the dark, Shini’s redness turned rosy, and she smiled happily to herself. Sometimes, a daring chance was worth the risk.

By the time morning rolled around, Karai had all but wrapped Shini head to toe in her long limbs, and Shini was in _bliss._

 

 

 

After that, Karai’s ability to shift and change got faster, and she stopped hiding it.

While Shini appreciated that gift of trust, she less appreciated the fact that Karai would distract her, and use her long snake arms to steal bites of dinner. Or, stretch out over the whole couch in her full mutant form, and leave no space for Shini.

Usually, Shini fought back against those tactics by teasing Karai till she was red, and simply choosing to sit on top of Karai until she moved.

And when they finally went to meet the Foot’s leaders, glinting weapons and black armor in place, Karai was simply gorgeous.

Watching her senpai face her opponents- proving her strength and resilience as the next leader- Shini was reminded of when they’d first met.

Young and still training, but not without their already emerging craftiness, they’d met because their masters had. An agreement to share information, as well as a demonstration of their pupils’ strength.

When Shini had first seen Karai fight- utterly demolishing foes twice her size- she’d looked like a storm in progress. Temperamental and quick to change direction, filled with unseen dangers until it was too late.

Shini sometimes thought that was moment when she’d fallen in love.

Now, years later and on the cusp of becoming a clan head, Karai moved similarly as much- but also _more._

With her new form, and her finesse in it getting better each day, Karai twisted and whirled through her fights. Her body weaving between blades and strikes like nothing, and shifting between her two forms almost as quick.

Shini watched, fascinated and more than a bit awed, as Karai danced between human and monster without hindrance.

Fanged and green eyed- then grinning with a human’s knife like smile, and golden eyed again. Silver armor and black clothes, then white and lavender scales - Karai was every bit the kunoichi Shini remembered from when they’d said goodbye, and had proved she’d only grown stronger since then.

As Karai defeated her last opponent, sheathing her lone sword and not bothering to conceal her beautiful, deadly green eyes- Shini’s heart swelled, and she fell in love all over again.

She bowed happily, same time as the highest ranked members of the Foot clan did, and pledged allegiance to the new clan head.

 

 

 

When time came for them to leave, packing up what possession they would need from Shini’s apartment, Shini wasn’t at all sorry to go.

They would leave majority of her things, since she could always buy more. And Karai had promised ample room for Shini in the Foot clan’s headquarters, so Shini was more than happy to abandon her apartment.

As they packed away the last of their equipment, weapons concealed carefully in suitcases, Shini paused, standing at the same table as Karai, with both their hands touching.

Shini wasn’t sure who moved first, but they leaned forwards, and kissed.

It was slow and sweet, filled with the gentle care their chosen life paths never allowed. In that moment, they could be as soft and kind as they pleased.

It wasn’t the first time, and Shini knew that it wouldn’t be the last. They could trust in that, at least, even if what lay ahead of them was uncertain.

Drawing away reluctantly, Shini stared at Karai. Her dear friend, and now partner, restored to how she should be. Strong, conniving, beautiful in every way; Shini couldn’t have loved her more.

Then they left, closing the door behind them and locking it.

They left, travelling to America with weapons in hand, set on reclaiming an empire.

In secret, when no one was looking, their weapons would be placed aside, and instead they’d link hands.

Shini savored every second of it, and indulged in the newness they’d both become whenever she could.

She had always loved Karai, but now it was different, because Karai loved her back the way she wanted.

 

 

 

When Karai had shown up on Shini’s doorstep, dark circles under her eyes and desperation in every word- saying that she had to kill her 'father', to avenge herself and her mother, that she needed help from the one person she could truly trust-

Shini had said _"Of course."_ without a second thought.

Because Karai could ask the world of her, and she would always say yes, no matter what.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So yep.  
> A lesbean and a biserious. Beautiful.
> 
> I can't believe I'm the first one to write for this ship. Dammnit.  
> There's always such a shortage of lady shipping in fandoms, and it looks like I'll have to handle that problem here myself.
> 
> Note To Self: Write waaaaaay more femslash for these two. They deserve it.


End file.
